When 11th-ranked Argyle wasn't scoring from the field, the Lady Eagles were converting from the free-throw line. When 19th-ranked Levelland wasn't scoring, the Loboettes' possessions ended in turnovers.

That allowed Argyle to hang on for a 40-36 victory in a Region I-3A semifinal and claim a berth in today's finals against either Cooper or Canyon.

"We thought right before halftime that we were starting to make some things happen with our press," Argyle head coach Steve Schmidt said. "We were having a few more chances at loose balls, which we needed, and it sped the game up some. I'm just so proud of staying in it with Levelland in a low-scoring game. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

The game was already a defensive battle, but it turned on defense in the fourth quarter. Argyle (26-9) held Levelland (23-11) to just four points in the fourth quarter and just one field goal. The Loboettes went scoreless over the final three minutes of the game and scored just two points in the final 6:10.

Plus, when Levelland's leading scorer, forward Mandi Padilla, fouled out with 2:25 remaining, it hampered the Loboettes' scoring ability. Still, they had several chances to tie or take the lead late but could not convert.

Levelland finished the game with 19 turnovers compared to just 12 for Argyle.

"They stepped up their pressure," Levelland coach Terri White said. "I'm not going to take anything away from our kids, and the turnovers were critical, but it's not like our kids wanted to turn it over. It's just Argyle's got a little more experience at this point than we did. Even until about four seconds left I felt we had a chance and that just speaks to the heart of these kids."

The final three minutes, however, went all Argyle's way and that's what led to the victory.

Padilla, who scored nine of her team-high 13 points in the second half, hit two free throws with 3:02 remaining to tie the game at 36. But just 37 seconds later, she left with her fifth foul called on a charge that would have tied the game.

Argyle capitalized by spreading the floor and running time after Emma Forrer hit both ends of a one-and-one with 2:42 remaining. She repeated the feat with 33.6 seconds left to push the lead to four, and that's where it ended as Levelland's final two possessions ended in turnovers.

"We had kind of a lull when Padilla fouled out, but even with that I'm not going to take anything away from our kids because when she's fouled out we've had other kids step up," White said. "It was just not our night, and Argyle was the better team."